Clothespin



Feb. 20-, 1951 R. A. WERNER CLOTHESPIN Filed March 15, 1948 I P l l l Fig.4.

Robert A Werner INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESPIN Robert A. Werner, Milner, 0010.

Application March 15, 1948, Serial No. 14,869

This invention relates generally to clothes pins, and more particularly a clothes pin comprising a pair of arms joined at the top and biased to spread apart at the bottom, the arms being slotted and carrying a lock which holds the lower ends of the arms together in operative position so that jaws on these lower ends are held in engagement with clothes and clotheslines.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a clothes pin which will not readily break or come apart, or otherwise become inoperative.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a clothes pin which has a positive gripping action and will not release until such time as a, lock is manually moved to release the arms carrying the jaws which hold the clothes on the clothesline.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a clothes pin in which the locking action is automatically accomplished by the user as the clothes pin is applied to clothes upon a line.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide means for limiting the downward movement of the clothes pin, so that the jaws are properly oriented with regard to the clothes and clothesline for proper gripping action.

And a last object to be mentioned specifically is to provide a clothes pin which will be extremely simple, safe and convenient to use, which will not stain the clothes when constructed of suitable material, which is relatively inexpensive and practicable to manufacture on a production basis and which will give generally eflicient and durable service.

With these objects definitely in view, this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions as will be hereinafter described in the specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this application, and in which:

Figure 1 is a three-dimensional view of this improved clothes pin together with a clothline and an article representing clothes to be attached by the clothes pin to the clothesline;

Figure 2 is a three-dimensional view on an enlarged scale, of the clothes pin removed from the structure wherewith it is adapted to be used;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 in Figure 3.

Similar characters of reference designate similar or identical elements and portions through- 2 Claims. (01. 24-137) out the specification and throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, this invention is adapted to be used with an environment including a clothesline in and clothes articles represented at [2, and is adapted to be manipulated by hand into the position indicated in Figures 1 and 3 to hold the clothes [2 on the said line It).

This clothes pin includes a pair of arms [4 which are integral in the embodiment represented in the drawings, that is, joined at the top l6, and will be constructed of resilient material. Each of the arms I4 is longitudinally slotted as at l8 throughout the major portion of its length and the ends of the slots [8 are closed. A traveler lock 28 comprises a bar having a head 22 on one end and a head 22' on the other end larger than the transverse dimension of the said slots, the bar 20 extending through these slots and between the two arms. In Figure 3, the head 22' on one end of the bar 20 is indicated as of machine riveted character, and it will be understood that either one or both of the said heads will be ordinarily upset or formed after insertion of the bar 20 through the slots I8, this being a matter of production and the essential feature of these heads being that they shall be larger than the slots 18 so that sliding the bar 20 downwardly will force the arms l4 together.

Each of the arms I4 is inturned as at 24 at an angle substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the clothes pin, and a curved jaw 25 is provided on the inner end of one of these in turned portions 24, this jaw depending therefrom and preferably formed with an outturned lip 28 at its lower end. The other arm and the corresponding inturned portion 24 carry a bifurcated jaw 38, the furcations thereof being lipped, as at 32, similarly to the jaw 26. A stop member 34 comprising a portion parted from the bifurcated jaw extends substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the clothes pin at a level immediately beneath the level of the opposite in-- turned portion 24, and the jaw 26 is apertured as at 35 at the top thereof to receive this stop 3d.

The operation of this invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing description of the mechanical details thereof, taken in connection with the drawings and with the recitation of the objects sought to be achieved by this invention. In recapitulation, it should be understood that, in applying the clothes pin, the same is grasped with the thumb and forefinger contacting the heads 22 and 22. The clothes pin is then forced I 3 downwardly over the clothes l2 and the clothesline it until the stop 34 limits the downward movement of the clothes pin. When the clothes pin is stopped thus, the further downward movement of the bar 20 forces the lower ends of the arms M together carrying the jaws 26 and 33 into gripping engagement with the clothes [2. It will be clear that the clothes pin will remain locked in position until released by the user, such release being accomplished by merely raising the bar 28 relative to the arms l4, an operation which is simply the reversal of the operation used in attaching the clothes pin on the clothes.

Obviously, many minor variations may be made in the exact construction and the proportiomnent and arrangement of the various elements and portions of this invention. Accordingly, the. scope of this invention shouldbe limited only as determined by a proper interpretation of the terminology used in the subjoined claims.

- Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A. clothes pin comprising a pair of arms joined at the top and biased to spread apart at the bottom ends of the arms, registering slotsv extending longitudinally in said arms and closed at both ends, a traveler lock comprising a bar extending through said slots and having a head on each end larger than the transverse dimension of said slots, integral substantially co-planar inturned portions on said bottom ends of said arms, opposing depending clothes engaging jaws on the adjacent ends of said portions, and a stop to limit the downward movement of said jaws 2. A clothes pin comprising a pair of arms joined at the top and biased to spread apart at the bottom ends of the arms, registering slots extending longitudinally in said arms and closed at both ends, a traveler lock comprising a bar extending through said slots and having a head on each end larger than the transverse dimension of said slots, integral substantially co-planar inturned portions on said bottom ends of said arms, opposing depending clothes engaging jaws on the adjacent ends of said portions, and a stop to limit the downward movement of said jaws on clothes and clothesline comprising a transversely dison clothes and clothesline comprising a transversely disposed central portion of one of said. jaws, the other of said jaws. having an aperture, said portion being slidably inserted through said aperture.

posed central portion of one of said jaws, the other of said jaws having an aperture, said central portion being slidably inserted through said aperture, said one jaw being bifurcated and said central portion extending substantially parallel to and immediately beneath one of said inturned portions.

7 ROBERT A. WERNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 763,793 Pickert W June 28, 1904 1,799,747 Harvey Apr. '1, 1931 2,043,553 Patio June 9., 1936 2,092,522 Post Septn 7,, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 383,437 Great Britain Nov, 17,1932 

